Watches of Switzerland donates £100k to food banks

Watches of Switzerland and Mappin and Webb’s parent group, the Watches of Switzerland group, has donated £100,000 in emergency funds to UK food banks during the Covid-19 crisis. 

The group said it recognised an “urgent need” for food bank funding after these facilities faced soaring demands in light of the ongoing pandemic. 

It noted that there has been an 89% increase in demand for emergency food parcels, including a 107% in parcels for children in the UK since the crisis began. 

In light of these findings, the group has shared donations between seven of The Trussell Trust’s food banks in UK cities where the group has a store portfolio, including Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Bristol and London.  

Brian Duffy, CEO of Watches of Switzerland, said: “During the Covid-19 crisis as more and more people fall on hard times, we are very aware of the significant increase in those relying on food banks and we wanted to play a small role in giving back to those most in need. 

“While looking after the health and wellbeing of our colleagues has been our main priority, we also recognised the need to look after the people living in the communities around our stores.” 

He added: “Our people have always been truly passionate about helping local causes, and we hope that these donations will help the food banks keep up with the demand they are experiencing to feed families in the UK and USA.”

John McCorry, chief executive of the city’s West End Foodbank, added: “This donation will help to sustain our services in the coming months as financial insecurity for many people will unfortunately worsen. 

“It is particularly rewarding when an individual or company reaches out to help others in their time of need. For that, I would like to express my gratitude to The Watches of Switzerland Group for their generosity of spirit and financial support.”